2019 spmbt update

EJ · #1 April 19th, 2019, 12:49 PM

Don or Andy,
I'm having an issue after the latest update where when in a regular game or scenario I can't finish/end a game. When I click to end turn or end game it just blinks when pressed. Screen flashes end turn or end game & won't execute. Game just hangs. The ONLY way I can get out of the game is to use task manager to close it.

DRG · #2 April 19th, 2019, 03:18 PM

Re-name your existing game or put it in a separate folder then try re-installing the game and patches in the default installation path. This is a problem with your installation / OS otherwise we would be flooded with the same issues from everyone else........... not to mention we'd have seen it as well and if we had seen it the patch would never have been released. Does both WinSPWW2 and WinSPMBT do this for you ?

Don

EJ · #3 April 19th, 2019, 06:18 PM

So I have to uninstall & reinstall both games? Yes both games have the same issue. I never had this problem with all the other updates until now. I got windows 7. Okay I will try the total re-installation of both games....

Mobhack · #4 April 19th, 2019, 07:16 PM

Windows 7? - are you trying to run it in full-screen mode?

As noted in the Game Guide, Full-screen mode requires the running of a script that nukes Windows Explorer in Windows 7, in order to allow 256 colour full-screen mode. No other Windows version needs this (Windows 7 "Aero" thinks it owns the 256 colour game palette).

Full-screen mode is a leftover from the MSDOS roots of the game, and is obsolete. Once explorer is nuked, you cannot alt-tab to other Windows applications - in Windowed mode, the game and other Windows applications coexist.

And as noted in the Game Guide, the script may be able to restore explorer or it may not, depends on your system. otherwise you need to restart Explorer yourself in Task manager. Which is described there in the bit on the Windows 7 explorer-nuking script, IIRC.

Try running in the recommended Windowed mode at desktop resolution. This is how the game should be played on modern monitors - It's faster than the obsolete 256 colour mode on modern video cards which prefer 32-bit colour mode. That should resolve your problems, if you have been using the antediluvian 256 colour full-screen mode.

The other thing to try is a windows version other than 7, of course.

DRG · #5 April 19th, 2019, 08:59 PM

Yes it would have been helpful to know if you were running full screen or windowed. As Andy said, run windowed mode and if you REALLY don't like seeing the taskbar run it with borderless gaming..there are links in the GG.

EJ · #6 April 20th, 2019, 02:25 AM

I was running the game in full screen mode with Aero disabled. I had no issues until installing the latest 2019 patch.

DRG · #7 April 20th, 2019, 08:14 AM

We changed how the graphics are displayed in both games with this update which may account for that but we did have the experimental version posted for months before without any serious issues reported and over 500 players tried it. That change may be why your game on your system is now acting differently. The solution, it would seem, is to run windowed as we recommend and if you don't like seeing the taskbar then run with borderless gaming. I have tested it and it does work well with the game but I want and need access to the taskbar so only run the game windows mode.

Don

EJ · #8 April 20th, 2019, 12:31 PM

Okay. Will do a total re-install per your instructions. Thanks...

Lemme get to it!

DRG · #9 April 20th, 2019, 12:54 PM

A full re-install may not fix your problem which is why I suggested you rename your existing games so keep them safe.... OTOH it may but the fact remains running Fullscreen is "iffy" at best and has not been a supported way to run the game for a few years so if a re-install gets things working for you like you remember.....great..... but personally I don't think it will. You were just lucky to have been able to run full screen at all

EJ · #10 April 20th, 2019, 03:15 PM

DRG,
You right. Now I'm ALL OUT OF LUCK & frustrated as hell! Even trying to do a full re-install, running it in windows mode...NOTHING is working. When trying to get the game to play start screen comes up & then nothing. I am kind of CHALLENGED when it comes to cpu program installations of ANY KIND. Didn't somebody do a screen by screen tutorial on how to install winspmbt & winspww2 on win7? Maybe I will just have to take my cpu to Geek squad at BestBuy to get them to do it. Sorry if it seems I'm wasting your time. I gotta get this game back running before having a PTSD MELT DOWN!